On October 28, 2025, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a literature review with the objective of assessing the evidence of micro-and nanoplastic (MNP) release from food contact materials (FCMs) during their use. The technical report is available in the EFSA Journal. It did not undergo peer review.
Considering literature published between January 2015 and January 2025, the authors reached the same main conclusion as a study published earlier in 2025 by Food Packaging Forum (FPF) scientists and colleagues on the same topic: scientific evidence suggests that microplastics are released from FCMs during normal and intended use. The EFSA report identifies mechanical stress, such as abrasion, friction, and cutting, as the primary cause of particle release, exacerbated by material aging and open or fibrous structure. For fibrous materials, such as those used in tea bags, fibers are shed. The authors of the report emphasize that studies may overestimate MNP release due to contamination (from air, handling, or food itself) or misidentification (e.g., oligomers, certain additives mimicking plastics). Overall, the EFSA report concludes that “there is no sufficient basis at this stage to estimate MNP exposure from FCM during their uses.”
To compile the report, the EFSA co-authors searched Scopus and Web of Science for pre-defined search strings, identifying 1711 publications, of which 122 were included. Only 81 underwent structured data extraction in DistillerSR, while the remainder were covered narratively. Eight additional publications not retrieved in the literature search or published after the cut-off were manually added for context. The report does not clearly state which studies underwent structured data extraction and which were used in the narrative review. Notably, EFSA did not manually add or reference the study published by FPF, despite its nearly identical scope, raising questions about their approach.
Similar to the FPF study, the EFSA report evaluates the usage and polymer types of FCMs, along with the testing conditions, applied analytical methods, and characteristics of the reported MNPs, as well as identifying data and methodological gaps, and providing recommendations. Unfortunately, EFSA’s report only roughly describes the applied eligibility criteria hindering detailed comparison with FPF’s study. It appears that primarily polymer types, colors, and particle shape were considered in evaluating the origin of MNPs from the FCMs. However, establishing a causal link between FCMs and MNPs requires specific experimental designs, such as kinetic studies measuring MNP release over time and/or at different temperatures, as considered and described in FPF’s study. FPF recommends that the assessment of MNP release becomes a regulatory requirement for establishing FCM safety.
Specifically, the study FPF scientists and colleagues conducted was published in June 2025 and is a systematic evidence map on food contact articles as a source of MNPs in food (FPF reported). The data collected from 103 studies is freely accessible through the FCMiNo dashboard. The evidence from these studies indicates that the normal and intended use of food packaging and other FCAs can contaminate foodstuffs with MNPs. It further demonstrates that highly relevant (e.g., kinetic study design) and reliable data on the topic are scarce.
Reference
EFSA (2025). “Literature review on micro- and nanoplastic release from food contact materials during their use.” EFSA Journal A. DOI: 10.2903/sp.efsa.2025.EN-9733
